In today’s culture, there is so much information, advice and advertising surrounding wellness. People and companies try to sell wellness, but is the wellness they speak of actually well? Wellness has been branded all over social media as if it were a new fashion trend. From pilates princesses to the clean girl aesthetic, wellness has become a status that many people are seeking to achieve. But there is much more to wellness than the images that are portrayed on social media.
Wellness is a way of living, but it does not have specific parameters. There is no checklist to go through in order to achieve a state of “well-being.” For me, wellness is very individualized and is focused around the idea of finding what brings you peace of mind as an individual and then implementing it into your life with discipline based on respect for yourself.
Wellness is not going to look the same for everyone. Some people may find that moving their body early in the morning brings them a sense of calm and generates productivity in their lives, making early morning workout routines part of their routines. For others, that routine may sound incredibly daunting and would take away from their quality of life and, therefore, not be part of their everyday regimen. Wellness is not one-size-fits-all and should be individualized based on personal experiences and emotions, not on what others consider to be effective.
Getting wellness inspiration from social media is not a bad thing, but how you interpret it is key. Practicing wellness, figuring out what you enjoy and allowing yourself to experience a life of peace and fulfillment is a difficult task, and it comes with a lot of trial and error. Getting inspiration from social media to get you started is not harmful as long as you are accepting and integrating the information into your life for the right reasons. If you decide you want to get into wellness because you saw someone popular online doing so and you copy everything they do, chasing the idea that someday your life will look just like theirs, you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead, use social media to gather many different activities that sound interesting to you! You may see that one creator goes on evening walks, another loves outdoor journaling and another likes to meal prep to nourish their body with nutrient-dense foods. The list goes on and on.
Another way to get an idea of how to start your wellness journey is to talk to people in your life about what they do that brings them peace in their day-to-day life. Who knows, you may end up trying new activities with them, which could be super fun! By reaching out to people in my life to try new activities, I was able to form some of my favorite friendships. Going on walks, trying new workouts, grocery shopping for meal prep, trying new recipes together and most importantly, holding each other accountable to new habits are just a few ideas of things I implemented into my life that have helped me tremendously.
There is not always going to be time to have a whole day dedicated to self-care or the money to take a vacation, but implementing small changes in your habits into your day-to-day life can tremendously improve your productivity and mindset — which is what wellness is truly all about. Do what works for YOU, and YOU will see and experience the blessings that wellness can bring!